Boot and shoe.



c. A. SHARP.

BOOT AND SHOE.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN I6. 1914- 1,15'7,330. Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' c. SHARP.

BOOT AND SHOE. APPLlCATION FILED JAN- 16, 1914.

1,157,330. Patented 0ct.19,1915.

. I v v 2SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WW I 1/ COLU'MIBUS A. SHARP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOOT AND SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Application filed January 16, 1914. Serial No. 812,524.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COLUMBUS A. SHARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boots and Shoes, which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes.

It is one of the objects of my invention to extend the outer sole into the heel structure and to so construct the heel structure that it will not only shape but maintain the shankportion of the outer sole in the normal arch form originally imparted to it;

A further object is to provide an improved form of heel structure which is not only adapted to take the outer sole but to maintain the same in the desired arch form.

A further object is to provide a heel of the cushion type whereinthe cushioning elements will be disposed above the ground engaging or tread portion of the heel, and in this connection, the outer sole cooperates with the heel structure to maintain the latter in position.

Other features of novelty will be more fully described in connection with the ac companying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device 'of my invention embodied in the form of a shoe. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the heel portion illustrating the structure forwardly of the shank. Fig. 3'is a view in side elevation; Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modified form of the invention. Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a further modification. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As illustrated, and referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the upper of the shoe is indicated at 1 as a whole and may le of any of the approved forms or styles, but inasmuch as the improvement of which my invention consists resides in the heel and sole structure, scribed in detail.

An outer sole is designated at 2 and a welt the upper will not be desolo at 3. The welt and outer soles are arched at the shank 4 and I extend the welt sole 3 over the heel 5 and rearwardly to the back of the counter 6. An inner sole 7 is shown extended over the welt sole. 3 and back to the counter 6, the lower margin of which is overlapped. The outer sole 2 extends in subjacent relation with the welt sole 3 into the heel structure and preferably to the back part thereof, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. That portion of the outer sole 2 extending through the heel 5 is arranged in spaced relation with respect to the welt sole 3, for a purpose which will presently appear.

The heel 5 as shown comprises or is built up of lower wearing lifts 8, which may be of leather or other substantially unyielding material, shaped to form a heel of the usual contour.

Upon the upper lift 8 I dispose a lower wedge lift 9, which may also be of leather, and the lower wedge lift 9 is arranged with its thicker portion 10, forwardly, and its thinner portion 11, rearwardly. The wedge lift 9, which may be termed the supporting" wedge lift, will of course be secured to the lower lift 8 and the outer sole 2. Above the outer sole 2, I dispose a shaping lift 12, which may be of rubber or other yielding material, and which is arranged with its thicker portion rearwardly and its thinner portion forwardly of the heel 5. The upper face'of the shaping lift 12 is curved to conform to the curvature of the heel portion of the welt sole 3 and the lower face of the shaping lift 12 is curved, convexly, corresponding to the concaved curvature of the upper face of the supporting lift 9, so that the outer sole will be disposed in abutting relation with said shaping and supporting lift throughout the depth of the heel.

. By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the forward or thicker portion 10 of the supporting lift 9 serves as a most effective support to retain the shank in the desired arched form by reason of the fact that the outer sole 2 not only extends rearwardly of the thicker front supporting portion 10, but also downwardly with respect thereto, thereby causing the shank portion of the outer sole 2 to not only assume but retain the arched form after theheel structure has been assembled. Furthermore, any tendency of the heel to get out of place, because of the yielding wedge 12, forming its connection with 25 thus it will be seen that I have'a-yielding the shoe body, would be counteracted by the strength afforded by theouter sole 2 in keeping the heel in position.

In Fig. 3, I have shown what may be either a oot or shoe provided with the device of my invention, the same being shown the heel thereof .and it will be understood that this is a great advantage in view of the fact that the public does not take readily to forms of the invention shown, I may provide shoes which may have a conspicuous appearance with respect to the usual form, '.irre-- spective of the style. a

In Fig. 4, I have shown a structure which is in all respects similar 'to the construction shown in Fig. 3, excepting that I provide a yielding supporting lift 13; of wedge form,

having a thicker portion 14 for'wardly disposed and a thinner portion 15 rearwardly' disposed. The shaping wedge lift 12 is shown of the same form as in Fig. 2, and

action from cushioning bodies which are double the cross section shown in Fig. 2. In this form, as well as in the form in Fig. 2, the cushioning elements are disposed above the wearing. portions of the heel, or in other Words the tread portion thereof, so that I obtain a cushioning heel without any of the disadvantages which result from disposing rubber at the tread surface thereof.

In the form shown'in Fig. 5, the sup orting and shaping wedge lifts 16 and 1 are both formed of leather, or of the same material of which the remainder of'the heel is formed, thereby illustrating one application of my invention in which the cushioning feature is not present.

In order 'to shape the arch, in any of the a sheet metal strip, preferably steel strip 18, between the welt sole 3 and the outer sole 2 which is adapted to extend from a central portion of the heel, forwardly to any desired length, the point to which this stifiening' strip is extended depending in a great measure upon the shoe and the effect desired to be attained in use. This arch shaping steel strip is preferably stifi'ened by being longitudmally ribbed, as indicated at 1'9, and may be secured between the welt and outer soles in any desired manner. The function of this steel strip is primarily to stiflfen the arch at the shank when the-boot or shoe is made of very light material where the arch would tend to flatten, although it is to be understood that while the stiffening strip, is intended to reinforce the arch, it is not in-- tended to render the same rigid, but merely reduce its capacity to yield, in other words,

to render the arch resilient. As a matter of.

fact, the disposition of the outer 9015 between the superpgsedwedge lift, will'not only shape but mamtam the arch- 1n the desired form, and when the shoe or boot is made of relatively heavy material, the auxiliary stiifening strip may be dispensed with entirely. While I have herein shown and described specific forms of my invention, I do not 3 wish to be limitedthereto except to such limitations as the claims may impart.

I claim 1 1-.- In a boot or shoe, a heel including two upper lifts of substantially wedge form, the

thinner portion of the uppermost lift being forwardly disposed, and an outer sole extendin rearwardly between said wedge lifts, t e lower wedge lift having its thicker portion disposed forwardly of the heel to arch and support the shank of the outer sole.

2.111 a boot or shoe, aheel including two upper lifts of substantially wedge form, the

arch and support the. shank of the outer sole and one of said lifts being formed-of yielding material, and lower lifts of unyielding material secured to the lower wedge lift to complete the heel.

3. In a boot or shoe, a heel including two upper lifts of wedge shaped form,-b0th constructed of yielding material, the thinner portion .of the uppermost: lift being forwardly disposed, an outer sole extending rearwardly between said wedge lifts, the lower wedge lift having its thicker portion disposed forwardly of the heel to arch and support the shank of the outer sole, and an unyielding lift secured tothe lower wedge lift to complete the heel.

Y 4.'In a bootor shoe, a heel, and an outer sole extending into the heel, and downwardly below the top of the latter.

7 5. In a boot or shoe, a heel, and an outer sole extending into the heel at the forward portion thereof, and near the top of the heel and extending downwardly toward the rear of the heel and below the top'thereof.

6. In a boot or. shoe, a heel, and an outer sole extending into the heel and being curved downwardly from the forward portion of the heel toward the rearward portion thereof.-

7. In a boot or shoe, a heel composed of upper yielding lifts and lower unyielding lifts, and an outer sole extending into said heel between said. yielding lifts and being secured thereto ,to hold the heel in place.

8. In a boot or shoe, a heel, welt and outer soles extending rearwardly over and into the heel, respectively, the outer. sole being in spaced relation with respect to the welt sole at points within the heel,

9. In aboot or shoe, a heel, welt and outer soles extending over and into the heel, respectively, and a resilient lift interposed between a portion of the heel and the welt sole and extending forwardly of the heel between the welt sole and the outer sole.

10. In a boot or shoe, a welt sole connected with the upper, an outer sole connected in its forward part with said welt sole and extended over the heel portion, a wedgeshaped heel lift mounted between said welt and outer soles in the heel portion, and a wedge-shaped outer lift connected against the face of the outer sole in a reverse position with respect to the interposed wedgeshaped lift.

11. In a boot or shoe, a welt sole connected with the upper, an outer sole connected in its forward part with said welt sole and extended over the heel portion, a wedge-shaped heel lift mounted between said Welt and outer soles in the heel portion, a Wedgeshaped outer lift connected against the face of the outer sole in a reverse position with respect to the interposed wedge-shaped lift, and a stiffening member between said welt and outer sole in the instep portion thereof and extending into the heel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

COLUMBUS A. SHARP. Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. HAMMANN,

LEON J. LEWICKI. 

